Automated volumetric MRI quantification of body fat and skeletal muscle in the UK Biobank: technical validation against expert manual segmentations and comparison with single-slice techniques.

Objectives: The escalating global incidence of obesity, cardiometabolic disease and sarcopenia necessitates reliable body composition measurement tools. MRI-based assessment is the gold standard, with utility in both clinical and drug trial settings. This study aims to validate a new automated volumetric MRI method by comparing with manual ground truth, prior volumetric measurements, and against a new method for semi-automated single-slice area measurements.

MRI-Based Genetic Studies Reveal Specific Genetic Variants and Disease Risks Associated With Fat Distribution Across Anatomical Sites.

To investigate the genetic determinants of fat distribution across anatomical sites and their implications for health outcomes. We analyzed neck-to-knee MRI data from the UK Biobank ( = 37,589) to measure fat at various locations and used Mendelian randomization to assess effects on 26 obesity-related diseases and 94 biomarkers from FinnGen and other consortia. We identified genetic loci associated with 10 fat depots: abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue ( = 2 loci), thigh subcutaneous adipose tissue (25), thigh intermuscular adipose tissue (15), visceral adipose tissue (7), liver proton density fat fraction (PDFF) (8), pancreas PDFF (11), paraspinal adipose tissue (9), pelvic bone marrow fat (28), thigh bone marrow fat (27), and vertebrae bone marrow fat (5).

Fat Fraction and Iron Concentration in Lumbar Vertebral Bone Marrow in the UK Biobank.

Background: Vertebral bone marrow (VBM) plays a critical role in bone homeostasis and metabolic health. Alterations in VBM fat and iron composition have been linked to age-related metabolic and musculoskeletal disorders, yet remain underexplored in large population-based studies.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess VBM adipose tissue and iron concentration in the UK Biobank imaging cohort ( = 26,524) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Genetic subtypes of type 2 diabetes are distinguished through the lens of abdominal MRI.

Objective: This study seeks to understand type 2 diabetes (T2D) heterogeneity through detailed phenotypic characterization of various T2D genetic subtypes using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques.

Study Design And Method: MRI data from over 44,000 UK Biobank participants was used to characterize distinct T2D genetic subtypes based on a compendium of imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs) quantifying body fat distribution, organ volumes, and muscle quality. Partitioned polygenic risk scores (pPS) representing genetic T2D subtypes were associated with adipose tissue distribution across ten compartments, liver and pancreas volume, three muscle mass indices, and fatty acid composition in subcutaneous and visceral fat.

Changes in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness associate with disease and anthropometric factors.

Background: Three-dimensional (3D) mesh-derived phenotypes enable detailed characterisation of organ morphology and regional variation through statistical parametric maps (SPMs) and statistical shape analysis (SSA). While these techniques have been widely used for organ studies, their application to abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT) has been limited. This study investigates the associations between ASAT thickness, anthropometric traits, and clinical conditions, including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension.

Deep learning predicts onset acceleration of 38 age-associated diseases from blood and body composition biomarkers in the UK Biobank.

A major challenge in multimorbid aging is understanding how diseases co-occur and identifying high-risk groups for accelerated disease development, but to date associations in the relative onset acceleration of disease diagnoses have not been used to characterize disease patterns. This study presents the development and evaluation of a neural network Cox model for predicting onset acceleration risk for age-associated conditions, using demographic, anthropomorphic, imaging, and blood biomarker traits from 60,396 individuals and 218,530 outcome events from the UK Biobank. Risk prediction was evaluated with Harrell's concordance index (C-index).

A Biological-Systems-Based Analyses Using Proteomic and Metabolic Network Inference Reveals Mechanistic Insights into Hepatic Lipid Accumulation: An IMI-DIRECT Study.

Objective: To delineate organ-specific and systemic drivers of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), we applied integrative causal inference across clinical, imaging, and proteomic domains in individuals with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Research Design And Methods: We used Bayesian network analyses to quantify causal pathways linking adipose distribution, glycemia, and insulin dynamics with fatty liver using data from the IMI-DIRECT prospective cohort study. Measurements were made of glucose and insulin dynamics (using frequently-sampled metabolic challenge tests), MRI-derived abdominal and liver fat content, serological biomarkers, and Olink plasma proteomics from 331 adults with new-onset T2D and 964 adults free from diabetes at enrolment.

Identifying Four Obesity Axes Through Integrative Multiomics and Imaging Analysis.

Unlabelled: We aimed to identify distinct axes of obesity using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived phenotypes. We used 24 MRI-derived fat distribution and muscle volume measures (UK Biobank; N = 33,122) to construct obesity axes through principal component analysis. Genome-wide association studies were performed for each axis to uncover genetic factors, followed by pathway enrichment, genetic correlation, and Mendelian randomization analyses to investigate disease associations.

Liver magnetic resonance imaging, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome risk in pre-pubertal Mexican boys.

Rising global pediatric obesity rates, increase non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence, with MetS being a NAFLD risk factor. NAFLD can be asymptomatic, with liver function tests insensitive to mild disease, and liver biopsy, risking complications. Thus, we investigated multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) metrics of liver fat (proton density fat fraction, PDFF) and disease activity (fibro-inflammation; iron-corrected T1, cT1), in a Hispanic pre-pubertal pediatric cohort, with increased risk of NAFLD.

Reference Range of Quantitative MRI Metrics Corrected T1 and Liver Fat Content in Children and Young Adults: Pooled Participant Analysis.

Background: Multiparametric MRI markers of liver health corrected T1 (cT1) and proton density fat fraction (PDFF) have shown utility in the management of various chronic liver diseases. We assessed the normal population reference range of both cT1 and PDFF in healthy child and adult volunteers without any known liver disease.

Methods: A retrospective multi-centre pooled analysis of 102 child and young adult (9.

MRI assessment of adipose tissue fatty acid composition in the UK Biobank and its association with diet and disease.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the fatty acid (FA) composition of abdominal subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue (ASAT and VAT, respectively) in the UK Biobank imaging cohort (N = 33,823) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: We measured the fractions of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated FA (fSFA, fMUFA, and fPUFA, respectively) in ASAT and VAT from multiecho MRI scans. We selected a subcohort of participants who followed a vegan and an omnivore diet (N = 36) to validate the effect of diet on adipose tissue.

Differing genetic variants associated with liver fat and their contrasting relationships with cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Background & Aims: The mechanisms underlying the association of steatotic liver disease with cardiovascular and cancer outcomes are poorly understood. We aimed to use MRI-derived measures of liver fat and genetics to investigate causal mechanisms that link higher liver fat to various health outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a genome-wide association study on 37,358 UK Biobank participants to identify genetic variants associated with liver fat measured from MRI scans.

The Association of Cardiometabolic, Diet and Lifestyle Parameters With Plasma Glucagon-like Peptide-1: An IMI DIRECT Study.

Context: The role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity is not fully understood.

Objective: We investigate the association of cardiometabolic, diet, and lifestyle parameters on fasting and postprandial GLP-1 in people at risk of, or living with, T2D.

Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the two Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) Diabetes Research on Patient Stratification (DIRECT) cohorts, cohort 1 (n = 2127) individuals at risk of diabetes; cohort 2 (n = 789) individuals with new-onset T2D.

Genetic Evidence for Distinct Biological Mechanisms That Link Adiposity to Type 2 Diabetes: Toward Precision Medicine.

We aimed to unravel the mechanisms connecting adiposity to type 2 diabetes. We used MR-Clust to cluster independent genetic variants associated with body fat percentage (388 variants) and BMI (540 variants) based on their impact on type 2 diabetes. We identified five clusters of adiposity-increasing alleles associated with higher type 2 diabetes risk (unfavorable adiposity) and three clusters associated with lower risk (favorable adiposity).

Quantifying the effect of nutritional interventions on metabolic resilience using personalized computational models.

The manifestation of metabolic deteriorations that accompany overweight and obesity can differ greatly between individuals, giving rise to a highly heterogeneous population. This inter-individual variation can impede both the provision and assessment of nutritional interventions as multiple aspects of metabolic health should be considered at once. Here, we apply the Mixed Meal Model, a physiology-based computational model, to characterize an individual's metabolic health A population of 342 personalized models were generated using data for individuals with overweight and obesity from three independent intervention studies, demonstrating a strong relationship between the model-derived metric of insulin resistance (ρ = 0.

The use of NADH anisotropy to investigate mitochondrial cristae alignment.

Life may be expressed as the flow of electrons, protons, and other ions, resulting in large potential difference. It is also highly photo-sensitive, as a large proportion of the redox capable molecules it relies on are chromophoric. It is thus suggestive that a key organelle in eukaryotes, the mitochondrion, constantly adapt their morphology as part of the homeostatic process.

Ultra weak photon emission-a brief review.

Cells emit light at ultra-low intensities: photons which are produced as by-products of cellular metabolism, distinct from other light emission processes such as delayed luminescence, bioluminescence, and chemiluminescence. The phenomenon is known by a large range of names, including, but not limited to, biophotons, biological autoluminescence, metabolic photon emission and ultraweak photon emission (UPE), the latter of which shall be used for the purposes of this review. It is worth noting that the photons when produced are neither 'weak' nor specifically biological in characteristics.

Precision MRI phenotyping of muscle volume and quality at a population scale.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables direct measurements of muscle volume and quality, allowing for an in-depth understanding of their associations with anthropometric traits, and health conditions. However, it is unclear which muscle volume measurements: total muscle volume, regional measurements, measurements of muscle quality: intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) or proton density fat fraction (PDFF), are most informative and associate with relevant health conditions such as dynapenia and frailty. We have measured image-derived phenotypes (IDPs) including total and regional muscle volumes and measures of muscle quality, derived from the neck-to-knee Dixon images in 44,520 UK Biobank participants.

Liver shape analysis using statistical parametric maps at population scale.

Background: Morphometric image analysis enables the quantification of differences in the shape and size of organs between individuals.

Methods: Here we have applied morphometric methods to the study of the liver by constructing surface meshes from liver segmentations from abdominal MRI images in 33,434 participants in the UK Biobank. Based on these three dimensional mesh vertices, we evaluated local shape variations and modelled their association with anthropometric, phenotypic and clinical conditions, including liver disease and type-2 diabetes.

Kidney shape statistical analysis: associations with disease and anthropometric factors.

Background: Organ measurements derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have the potential to enhance our understanding of the precise phenotypic variations underlying many clinical conditions.

Methods: We applied morphometric methods to study the kidneys by constructing surface meshes from kidney segmentations from abdominal MRI data in 38,868 participants in the UK Biobank. Using mesh-based analysis techniques based on statistical parametric maps (SPMs), we were able to detect variations in specific regions of the kidney and associate those with anthropometric traits as well as disease states including chronic kidney disease (CKD), type-2 diabetes (T2D), and hypertension.

Near-Infrared Light Exposure Triggers ROS to Downregulate Inflammatory Cytokines Induced by SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in Human Cell Culture.

The leading cause of mortality from SARS-CoV-2 is an exaggerated host immune response, triggering cytokine storms, multiple organ failure and death. Current drug- and vaccine-based therapies are of limited efficacy against novel viral variants. Infrared therapy is a non-invasive and safe method that has proven effective against inflammatory conditions for over 100 years.

Non-chemical signalling between mitochondria.

A wide variety of studies have reported some form of non-chemical or non-aqueous communication between physically isolated organisms, eliciting changes in cellular proliferation, morphology, and/or metabolism. The sources and mechanisms of such signalling pathways are still unknown, but have been postulated to involve vibration, volatile transmission, or light through the phenomenon of ultraweak photon emission. Here, we report non-chemical communication between isolated mitochondria from MCF7 (cancer) and MCF10A (non-cancer) cell lines.

Informing the Cannabis Conjecture: From Life's Beginnings to Mitochondria, Membranes and the Electrome-A Review.

Before the late 1980s, ideas around how the lipophilic phytocannabinoids might be working involved membranes and bioenergetics as these disciplines were "in vogue". However, as interest in genetics and pharmacology grew, interest in mitochondria (and membranes) waned. The discovery of the cognate receptor for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) led to the classification of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and the conjecture that phytocannabinoids might be "working" through this system.

Diet-induced Weight Loss and Phenotypic Flexibility Among Healthy Overweight Adults: A Randomized Trial.

Background: The capacity of an individual to respond to changes in food intake so that postprandial metabolic perturbations are resolved, and metabolism returns to its pre-prandial state, is called phenotypic flexibility. This ability may be a more important indicator of current health status than metabolic markers in a fasting state.

Aim: In this parallel randomized controlled trial study, an energy-restricted healthy diet and 2 dietary challenges were used to assess the effect of weight loss on phenotypic flexibility.

Abdominal imaging associates body composition with COVID-19 severity.

The main drivers of COVID-19 disease severity and the impact of COVID-19 on long-term health after recovery are yet to be fully understood. Medical imaging studies investigating COVID-19 to date have mostly been limited to small datasets and post-hoc analyses of severe cases. The UK Biobank recruited recovered SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals (n = 967) and matched controls (n = 913) who were extensively imaged prior to the pandemic and underwent follow-up scanning.